If you are trying to decide which type of roofing to put in, you want to be familiar with your options. One such option is natural asphalt shingle roofing. To help you understand it better, we have prepared a guide on the pros and cons of this solution.
The pros of asphalt shingle roofing
Easily customizable
The first thing in favor of this type of roofing is that you can easily customize it to fit your home. It comes in various colors and styles. Do you want to paint your house an unusual color but are afraid that you will not find a suitable roofing option? Do not worry since asphalt shingles will easily fit into any color scheme you can come up with. In addition, it can make a very nice first impression if the texture of your roof seems similar to that of your façade, additionally recommending this particular roofing material.
Easy to install
If you want to replace your roof and do it as quickly as possible, so your home is not exposed to the elements for long, asphalt shingle roofing is one of the best choices. The asphalt shingles are light, easy to cut, and effortless to install. The only tricky part is ensuring that the flashing is properly installed, which is not too difficult. In addition, no specialized tools are required when installing these particular shingles. Compared to other available materials, installing this type of roofing is practically painless.
Repairs are not difficult
We have already discussed how easy this type of roof is to install. But what happens if something bad happens to your roof. Strong winds start to pick up, and they manage to lift and smash a torn branch into shingles. If this happens with nearly every type of roofing, you would require a lot of money and effort to replace the damaged shingles. Provided it is possible at all to replace just the ones affected. However, you can easily replace asphalt shingles individually, even if you have to look into the benefits of short-term storage rental to protect your attic items. You can benefit from this tremendously anyway, but with asphalt roof, you will not need to rent out storage for long.
They are cheap
The final of the arguments in favor of asphalt shingle roofing is how cheap it is. Even compared to every possible type of roofing material, asphalt shingles are still one of the most affordable. This makes them a prime choice if you want to touch up your home on a budget. And particularly noteworthy if you’ve purchased a fixer-upper and are now trying to minimize the cost of getting it to a livable condition. Due to how easy it is to install, although it is not advisable, you can even try to DIY some simple repairs and save money further.
The cons of asphalt shingle roofing
Deficient insulation
Now, onto the bad. The first thing that speaks against the practicality of asphalt shingle roofing is inadequate insulation. This is one of the things new homeowners need to know about their roofs since it seriously affects any attempt to keep the house at a specific temperature. Without a roof with good insulation, you need to use more power and run whatever heating or AC you are using much longer and more intensely. If you want to make the best possible use of this roofing, then definitely look into ways to further insulate your roof.
Lower lifespan
Certain roofs can last for over seventy years, such as quality clay shingles. Even metal and wood have a longer life expectancy than asphalt shingles, given that wood typically lasts for around thirty years. The traits that make these shingles so light, cheap, and easy to install also make them deteriorate much faster. If you do notice significant wear and tear in your asphalt roofing, then the experts associated with Master Moving Guide recommend quickly hiring movers to get all your attic items out. The first rainfall could easily get through such roofing and ruin your belongings.
Frequent maintenance
Several types of roofs require frequent maintenance, and asphalt roof is unfortunately among them. The first thing you need to pay attention to is keeping your roof clean. If there is a lot of debris, it is easy for asphalt shingles to get damaged. Then, you need to check on the flashing of your roof periodically. Water will easily get between asphalt shingles if any of it comes apart. Finally, you would need to check for loose shingles. Asphalt tends to shrink or expand depending on the weather conditions. Thus, installing this type of roofing during summer is necessary since cold weather makes them incredibly sensitive and easy to damage during installation.
Easy to damage
The final fault of asphalt shingles is that they are pretty easy to damage. Extreme temperature fluctuations can make them crack. Harsh winds can cause them to detach entirely due to how light they are. And the inherent thinness and the material of their construction make them vulnerable to any sort of impact. This should make it obvious why it is crucial to get a roof inspection before buying a home with asphalt shingle roofing. Thankfully, the previously discussed fact that they can be easily replaced somewhat counteracts this flaw.
Final comment
Now that you understand the pros and cons of asphalt shingle roofing, you can decide whether it is the perfect solution for you! If you want something that will last with minimal maintenance, asphalt shingles are not the right choice. However, go for this material if you want a cheap and easily installed solution with excellent reparability.
